Post Intensive Care Optimization Through Lifestyle Intervention

The quality of the intensive care unit (ICU) has been steadily improving over the years. Although improvements in the acute treatment of critically ill patients have been made, a large number of ICU survivors suffer from severe physical, cognitive and mental health problems persisting months to years after leaving the ICU. Physical impairments occur the most and can be very severe, greatly affecting activities in daily life and subsequently the perceived quality of life of ICU survivors. Although there is an increased awareness of long-term complaints following ICU stay, there is currently a knowledge gap on how to enhance the recovery of ICU survivors 6 to 12 months post-ICU discharge. The overall objective of the current study is to establish the extent of health and functional improvements that can be obtained with an optimized, combined exercise and nutritional intervention in ICU survivors 6 to 12 months post-ICU discharge.